The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-04-07
REPORT or LUNATIC ASYLUM COMMIT
TEE.

If the intention of :he house in ar
pointing committee TO inquire into tn
moral regime of the lunatic asylum was t.
get at the real facts in the case, and prob
tho matter to the bottom, the committee
, appointed to do thework has but poorly car
ried out their intention. There are no fact
D specifically stated that would reflect upor
the former management, except in the
case of the negro woman mentioned, anc
that guards could be kept about this wo
man who was n "trusty," and free to go
at will about the building with other "trus-
ties, men and women, is not TO be serious
ly considered As to the five instances OF
the women giving birth to children while
! in the asyum,a computation in each case OF
the time these women were in the asylum
before the birth Of the children will con
vince apy one that no blame can at
tach 10 the authorities at the asy-
lum for negligence or misconduct;
besides there is no outside history
|
would negative such a suspicion, even was
this question of time not considered. As
| to the rest of the report, as far as it con-
Germs the patients it is made up of allega-
tions, sit is alleged" that SO and so is the
case. The report should be more definite
in statement of facts.
The report also goes into the character
of the employees and attendants at the
asylum and accuses bad conduct as be-
tween themselves, but exonerates the su-
perintendent from such conduct, and does
not charge that he knew of its existence,
yet condemns him for not inaugurating
proper efforts to suppress the existing
evil,"-rather contradictory state of af-
fairs. That such conduct, among the EN-
ployes, is heartily to be condemned and
punished by discharge, is unquestioned,
but, when carried on with such secrecy
that the authorities do not know of or sus-
pect it, it is hardly proper to hold them
for it. That, when such case
came to the knowledge of the superinten-
dent, the party was discharged is stated
in the report Of the committee. How
then, upon this statement of facts and
''alleged" circumstances, the committee
can reach the conclusion of their report
is somewhat peculiar. They say, "we
have discovered much to destroy the con-
iidence of the people in one of our state,
institutions"-if they discovered nothing
further than is stated in thei r reprt
they have either flown the track because
of their own imaginings, or are eIagger-
ating their statement to draw the dis
tinction they do between the new and the
old management of the asylum. Upon
what facts do they base the statement that
they were warranted in saying that we
fully believe that spirit of reform has
been inaugurated and will be carried out,
and public confidence restored"s Has
the new superintendent discovered all the
guilty ones, and discharged them? Have
the committee looked into the history of
all the new appointees of the new super
intendent, if he has made any, and passed
upon their character? In short, have the
any other evidence of this re-
form than the expressed intention of DR..
Dorset! TEE STATESMAN has not any
interest in this lunatic asylum contro-
versy except desire to see Justice done.
The report seems to be predicated upon
unsatisfactory and unconclusive testi-
mony, and shows some animus or feeling
on the part of the committee.
The STATESMAN does not defend DR..
Denton nor the members of the former
board of managers, nor does it propose
to crlticise or find fault with the present
which, so far as known, is
satisfactory, but desires, in
justice to the asylum, to protest against a
legislative committee, upon such meagre
and unsatisfactory evidence, sending out
through the state such character for
the asylum.
The charges made are very grave ones
and should have had a more thorough
md r,latn